The Last Mission, Knight Rider/Terminator SCC

[deifire]

Hope this okay to post now. It's only about 4 hours into the 15th in my time zone, which means I'm awake way too early.

Title: The Last Mission
Author: deifire
Fandom: Knight Rider (2008)/Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Rating: PG
Word count: ~2,500
Characters: Agent Carrie Ruvai, Cameron, a certain talking car
Warnings: Reference to death, discussion of homosexuality, use of a KITT feature not mentioned in the new Knight Rider pilot, Mustang vs. cyborg violence, reckless disregard of the posted speed limit.
Prompt: 11. Don't be afraid of missing opportunities. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wishes they had missed. -- Lily Tomlin.
Summary: AU. When Michael Knight's son turns the offer down, KITT gets a new driver. Who uncovers the enemy that's been after them from the start.
Written for the femgenficathon IV.


It's times like these, when she's sitting behind the wheel of a talking Ford Mustang--a talking, shape-shifting Ford Mustang that's currently masquerading as a purple sedan and weaving itself in and out of oncoming traffic in an attempt to evade the 18-wheeler that's pursuing them at top speed--that make Agent Carrie Ruvai seriously reconsider her career choices.

"I believe this disguise has proven to be ineffective," says KITT, master of the exceedingly obviously. The Knight Industries Three Thousand comes within inches of hitting an SUV before swerving back over into the other lane.

Carrie knows her partner is the better driver, but it's all she can do to keep from grabbing the wheel and screaming.

She glances in the review instead. The truck is still behind them. KITT's put some distance between them, but the truck's driver is making use of the now-available wide right-hand shoulder to close the gap.

"One of my primary mission directives is the preservation of human life. To that end, I am attempting to get us off this highway and onto a less populated road. I believe our pursuer will follow us."

"Oh good," says Carrie. She's ready to end this.

Especially when KITT takes the exit ramp at 90mph.

***

Six Months Ago

"You want me to drive it?" Carrie said again in disbelief.

Charles Graiman shrugged, smiled. "Mike Traceur turned us down. You were the logical second choice."

"Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity," said Carrie, "But why me?"

"KITT trusts you."

Carrie looked across the garage to where the black Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR was parked. The weird red Cylon-style light on its front was glowing. At least when Kevin asked if she could tell him whether this mysterious potential new partner of hers was hotter than he was, Carrie was legitimately able to say yes.

"KITT trusts me?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"KITT has analyzed your files and my personal memories of our acquaintance, and has concluded you are well suited to assist him," Charles said. "And I trust you. Are you ready to get reacquainted?"

He led her toward the car. As they approached on KITT's left, the driver's side door swung open.

"Hello, Agent Carrie Ruvai," came the voice from the car's speakers. "Would you like to go for a drive?"

***

KITT's dropping his nanotech sedan disguise, "shifting" back to his own familiar Mustang shape as he drives along the deserted road.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. They had completed their original mission, taken out their original target, only to have reinforcements show up. Reinforcements that have since commandeered an 18-wheeler and have shown no signs of giving up pursuit.

They've lost the truck for now, but it will be coming.

"What's the plan?" she asks the Mustang.

KITT shows her, with visual aids on his viewscreen, what he has in mind.

"Of course," Carrie says, as the truck appears in KITT's rearview. It figures that would be the plan.

***

Five Months Ago

Backing a Mustang out of the Knight Industries hauler as it travels down the highway at full speed was not as easy as it looked.

"Would you like me to assist?" asked the car, for the fourth time.

"No, KITT," said Carrie, for the third time too many. "I want to do this myself."

There were certain advantages she had over Mike Traceur when it came to this particular assignment. Being a trained FBI agent was one. Not being willing to walk away from the mission and abandon people in need to go brood and wrestle with unresolved daddy issues, as Sarah Graiman had put it, was another.

A past career as a professional racecar driver, however, had been his advantage over her. KITT was capable of driving himself--was probably better at it than any human ever would be--but only if his neural network was fully operational. The incident on his very first mission had proven that it was unwise to assume that would always be the case.

Hence, stunt driving lessons. And the need to perform routine maneuvers herself under controlled conditions whenever possible. She took a deep breath, and...

"I only wish to point out that I am very expensive," said the car.

"KITT!"

"At your current salary, and adjusting for the project cost of living, it would take working well beyond the typical age of retirement for you to afford to replace me."

Give me strength, though Carrie. Then, three...two...one... "Now!" she said aloud, and backed the car smoothly down the ramp and out onto the highway.

"Congratulations, Agent Ruvai. I remain undamaged," said the Mustang. She had to remind herself that KITT was, at his core, an emotionless artificial intelligence, and therefore, probably incapable of being sarcastic.

She was feeling pleased with herself as she accelerated and passed the Knight Foundation hauler. Then, "Wait...why do you know my salary?" she asked KITT

"I was given access to that information along with several files of your personal data."

"Again, why?"

"I have access to all information about you that may become relevant to this or any other future mission. Plus the memories of Charles Graiman and additional information that may help me bond with my operator on a personal level: hobbies, favorite movies..."

"Shopping habits?"

"You prefer to patronize locally owned business, except for certain personal purchases that you make using the Internet. For example..."

"KITT, stop!"

"I am capable of changing the subject to one you find less distressing. Would you like to discuss the merits of the most recent episode of Battlestar Galactica?"

"No!"

"Would you like to discuss surfing? It is not a pastime in which I will ever be able to participate, but I have researched..."

"No! No personal questions or conversation," said Carrie. "In fact, just shut up and drive!"

She'd told KITT to do it, but she was still surprised when the wheel suddenly twisted in her grasp and the pedals that allowed for human operation of the vehicle retracted. The Mustang accelerated. And accelerated. And accelerated.

"KITT, how fast are you going?"

Silence from the car's speakers.

"KITT?"

Another long pause. Then, "Before I respond, I must inquire: Does this override your earlier request for me to shut up? And is this a personal question?"

It was the beginning of a strange relationship.

***

The bridge the other...operative had taken out during their earlier confrontation. KITT's betting this one doesn't know it's gone yet. His strategy is simple: get the truck to pursue them as fast as possible toward the bridge. At the last second, engage turbo boost. The Mustang soars to safety. The truck plunges to its doom.

This is not a strategy KITT's programming would ordinarily allow him to employ, as being directly responsible for the loss of human life is a big no-no, except as a last resort.

But there's nothing human in that truck.

"Hang on," Carrie mutters to herself as they reach the bridge and she prepares to punch the secret turbo boost button. "This is going to be uncomfortable."

***

Two Months Ago

"I do not understand. Was she not attractive?"

Carrie missed the moratorium on personal conversations sometimes. They'd just assisted capturing some former Blackriver operatives and now had the biggest lead yet on the entity behind the theft of Charles Graiman's hard drives, and the car was choosing now to give Carrie a hard time about her love life.

"She was attractive," Carrie admitted. KITT was referring to the ill-advised blind date she'd agreed to go on yesterday with one of Sarah's friends from Stanford. Kim was a purple-haired PhD candidate in comparative literature. Why Sarah had thought they'd be a good match, Carrie didn't know. It was probably what came of letting somebody still thinking of becoming engaged to a guy named Brock set her up. Still, they'd had a pleasant enough night together, though Carrie wasn't planning on a second date.

This apparently confused KITT.

"Is she uninterested in pursuing sexual relationships with other women?"

"KITT!" Carrie said, thanking everything she held sacred that they'd taken Kim's car on the actual date. "No, she just...wasn't my type, okay?"

"And was Anastasia also not your type?"

"You mean Sidewinder?" said Carrie. "Actually, aside from the whole being a double agent thing, she was. But that was kind of the deal-breaker."

"And Lisa?"

"Is a girl I met at the beach that I get together with once in a while to have a good time. It's nothing serious."

"And do you not want...anything serious?"

Carrie laughed, shook her head. "Not really."

"Marriage between two individuals of the same gender is currently granted legal recognition in the state of California."

"Yes, I know." Carrie sighed. "KITT, why this sudden interest in me and women?"

"My research shows that human beings enjoy forming romantic partnerships. Is that not correct?"

"Yes, but...well, I have you."

"While I would be flattered if I were capable of emotion, I am not a good substitute for a human companion."

"That wasn't what I meant," said Carrie. "I meant that maybe when we're done saving the world, I'll settle down with the wife and kids and nice house with a white picket fence. In the meantime, I'm not going to start a relationship or a family I'll just have to drive off and abandon one day. So can we just focus on the mission?"

"You are referring to Michael Knight."

Carrie rolled her eyes. "That wasn't the name the mercenary gave us, KITT."

"I have searched all my available databases and have identified no individual matching the given description or bearing the name Cromartie."

At least the car was focused again. Carrie sighed. From all the intel they had, it was like this guy had appeared out of nowhere one day.

KITT spoke up. "I am running a detailed analysis of data from security cameras in the area of Cromartie's last known location. I believe I may have a visual."

"Good," said Carrie, as the image came up on KITT's screen.

"In the meantime, I have accessed research that reveals animal companionship can also be beneficial to humans," KITT continued. "My records show you have no known allergies to dogs or cats. Therefore, I have pulled up a selection of these animals available for adoption from local shelters for you to peruse later."

***

Carrie's glad she never took KITT up on that particular idea, though Sarah Graiman did wind up adopting a kitten at the end of the whole fiasco. The last thing Carrie needs to worry about right now is who's going to feed the dog if she doesn't make it out of this alive.

She punches turbo boost.

The Mustang flies. The truck plunges to the ground beneath. Carrie lets out the breath she only now realizes she's been holding.

KITT drives a safe distance, and pulls to the side of the road. Carrie gets out and observes the fiery wreckage. It doesn't surprise her at all when something crawls out. Something that looks like a young, attractive woman, white with long brown hair, wearing a black tank top and cargo pants.

You might not even realize it wasn't a woman until you saw the metal gleaming in its face where the accident has burned or torn skin away. Until you saw the glowing red light where one brown eye used to be.

It turns, and it sees them.

***

One Month Ago

"I believe the man approaching is Agent James Ellison," KITT said. Carrie looked in the review, noted the figure reflected in it, and nodded. She opened the passenger-side door, and the man got inside.

"Agent Ruvai," he said.

"Agent Ellison," she replied. "I asked you to meet me in the garage, because..."

"You wanted to introduce me to your partner. Of course," said Ellison. "So this is the infamous KITT."

Carrie stared.

"Oh, yes," he continued. "There are quite a few of us who know about the woman with the invincible supercar. Nice looking car, too. Shelby GT500KR?"

"That is correct, Agent Ellison," said KITT. Ellison jumped a little at that, Carrie noted with some amusement. "It is good to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," said Ellison. "Especially as I've heard you've found Cromartie."

"We believe we have traced his current location," said KITT.

Ellison turned to Carrie. "Is it true what else they say about this car? That it's bulletproof? Can travel at 200 miles per hour? That it contains the most sophisticated artificial intelligence currently known to mankind?"

"Mostly," said Carrie.

"Good," said Agent Ellison. "Because for what you're about to face, you're going to need all of it."

***

It's coming. She wants to run, but it's coming, and she's behind the wheel of the one thing that's ever been a match for one of these machines. Ellison had been going for backup. Someone named Connor and his team, who were supposed to know what they were doing when it came to facing these terminator things. But Ellison had never come back.

Instead, she and a team of the FBI's finest had faced down Cromartie alone, and while KITT hadn't exactly emerged unscathed, he and Carrie were the only ones left in fighting condition. But Cromartie was dead. Deactivated. An ex-terminator. Whatever.

And then this one had shown up along with three other individuals KITT had identified as human. She wasn't sure if they were its allies or its prisoners or what, she just knew she had to get it away from her people. In that, she's succeeded.

"KITT," she says. "If we don't make it out of this, it's been a pleasure working with you."

"I do not feel emotions as you do," KITT seems to need to remind her again. "But if I did, it is likely I would have experienced pleasure during our time together as well. You have been an extremely competent human partner, and your driving has much improved."

It's the most touching thing the car has ever said.

The cyborg-girl finishes hauling itself up onto the road, then turns to stand facing them, illuminated in the red glow of KITT's front light. It cocks its head to one side.

The Mustang surges forward.

***

Thirty Minutes Ago

"Cameron, no!" John Connor cried.

"I must pursue the vehicle, John," the terminator said. "It is our best opportunity for preventing Prometheus."

Prometheus. The government's remote system by which military drones were controlled and smart bombs were guided. The thing Cromartie was trying to protect. If left to develop, in three years, it would become the last component of Skynet. The prototype technology was in the Mustang. Capture the car, destroy Prometheus, prevent Judgment Day. The last mission. But...

"That thing just took out Cromartie!" John protested. Right as the T-888 had been about to take them out, actually. May have already taken out his uncle, and his mother was barely standing. Pieces of Cameron's metal exoskeleton were showing through the wounds in her skin. John himself was unsteady on his feet.

"You're hurt," said Cameron. "You need to leave. The police and additional agents will be here soon."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "She's right John," said Sarah Connor. "We need to go. Now."

He hesitated long enough to watch Cameron march up to the cab of the truck that had pulled over, presumably to offer assistance to John's party and the fallen FBI agents. He watched her pick up the surprised driver, lift him out of his seat, and deposit him on the ground.

"I need your truck," she said by way of explanation as she got behind the wheel.

John wondered if he'd ever see her again.

Comments

[slowmercury.livejournal.com]

This is a very interesting cross - I like the way you mixed chronology and the present, and I like how it's really clash between two (nominally, at least) good forces. Nice.

[deifire]

Thanks! I've been wanting to do a good guy vs. good crossover with them ever since a line in the Knight Rider mini-series described the technology behind K.I.T.T. as very...Skynet-ish.